With the growing human population the wolf is coming into conflict with people in areas where they have not been seen before. Wolves need lots of land, away from humans, to live and raise their families. As our population has grown, the amount of wilderness where wolves can live has gotten smaller.
The wolf has been exterminated in most of Europe in the past four centuries. Pockets of wolves survive in mountainous Spain, France, Italy, and forested Finland. The wolf population of Asia has been equally decimated, although substantial numbers remain in remote corners of the Middle East and on the Russian and Mongolian steppes. A wolf is neither good nor evil, it seems Myth still out lives the it, but now many understand their nature.
And now many Ranchers and others are now seeing through a real understanding of the wolf and through some preventive measures on their part (Checking herd regularly, removing carrion, having guard dogs, etc.), Both the wolf and man can live together.
There are extremist on both sides of the wolf debate. Most ranchers don't hate wolves, but sometimes they kill their livestock, some on the other side think that wolves should never be killed for any reason, no one wants to see a wolf killed, but when man and wolf come into conflict usually the wolf will loose. It is then better for a few wolves to be put down than have a back-lash against wolves and see unrestricted hunting legalized, a compromise must be reached to save the wolf as a whole, it is unfortunate that the wolf through no fault of its own has come into conflict with us, but the reality is that with the ever shrinking wilderness that if there is no compromise the wolf may once again be on the brink of extinction.
To help protect the wolf, we will need to help protect the wilderness that is left. Today we understand the science of the wolf, but the soul is lost. This once crafty hunter revered and respected is now seen as vermin and a danger to livestock. Keep reading...next blog...
